Happy ending for the puppy nearly posted across the U.S. as hundreds ask to adopt him

He won hearts all over the world after he narrowly escaped being posted across the U.S. in a sealed box.

And on Friday Guess, the five-month-old puppy, will begin a new life with one of his legion of fans when he goes up for adoption in Minneapolis.

His owner, Stacey Champion, failed to win him back at a court hearing earlier this month and faces animal cruelty charges after trying to send him to Georgia as a birthday present for her son - by airmail.

Puppy-dog eyes: Guess, the puppy nearly airmailed to Georgia, has won admirers from all over the world who want to adopt him

Now Guess will go to a new home after Champion failed to pay a bond for his care at the rescue centre where he is being looked after.

Jeanette Wiedemeier Bower, of the Minneapolis Animal Care and Control shelter, said hundreds of people from across the U.S. and the world have asked to adopt Guess after his story made international headlines.

Interest in Guess has been so great that the shelter will hold a special draw for him on Friday. Prospective owners are asked to go to the shelter at 2pm, and officials will then draw ten names.

Each of those people will have to fill in a form to see if they are an 'appropriate fit' for Guess, and then a final name will be drawn to take the black schnauzer-poodle cross home.

Narrow escape: Stacey Champion appears at a custody hearing with the box in which she tried to post Guess, then four-months-old

He has been living at the shelter since last month, when Champion took him to the post office in a sealed box to post him - as 'priority mail' - to her son in Atlanta.

Popular pooch: Shelter officials will hold a special draw for Guess on Friday to decide who will adopt him

Inside she wrote: 'This is for your 11th birthday. It's what you wanted.'

She was only rumbled when the box, which was completely wrapped and sealed, began to move and fell off the counter.

Champion told postal workers it was a toy robot - but they did not believe her claim and opened the box, saving Guess from almost-certain death in the aircraft's non-pressurised hold.

Despite her attempt to post Guess, Champion still tried to regain custody of the dog at a hearing in which her behaviour was branded 'disgraceful'.

She claimed she had tried to put holes in the box - but postal workers said they were all taped over.

Minneapolis police sergeant Angela Dodge said: 'Guess is doing well. Despite the trauma he endured, he
appears to be a healthy and happy puppy who likes to play and receive
attention from staff.'